low carb/fibre/constipation/belly fat

[catsnhorses]

warning - dim chick Qs ahead...

i did the curves low carb diet 2 years ago and lost a lot of weight. my horrid belly began to shrink too.

BUT i was very constipated on that diet, which led to other health problems. right now I really, really need to avoid being constipated.

is there a way to reconcile low carb with sufficient fibre?

i am wondering about cutting carbs again, because it was so effective, but i don;t know if i can make this a lifestyle change for good.

also, one of the staff members at curves told me that the belly was "all due to carbs". is that true??

Thanks

[Puncezilla]

Hi, I understand your problem, I don't know what the curves lowcarb diet is like, I'm on atkins. I sometimes take fiber capsules, Or use flax meal, for added fiber but for the most part my body has adjusted well. I also eat a lot of fiberous veggies. I do believe that most of the fat stored on your belly is from to many carbs. I have read a lot of books on this inc, atkins, southbeach, , You on a diet,etc. all these books blame belly fat on to many simple carbs. I would recomend, Living the lowcarb life. It has agreat explination of why carbs make us fat, and reviews a bunch of different diet plans. It is easy to read and very informative. Your local library should have it.
I hope this helps. Good luck to you. I'm sure lots of others on this board will have good advice aswell.

[Arkansas Kel]

There's a cracker called "Scandinavian" fiber crackers. I get them at netrition.com. They are ALL fiber. Zero carbs. Yep, 0!!! So long as you are a fiber deducter. They are good with peanut butter or tuna salad on top. Not great by theirselves, but good with a topper. If you miss crackers and need more fiber (ie - constipation) they are worth it. I usually eat 2-3 crackers in a day and I have no problems - plus - dang it - I had some crackers.

Also, fiber one I think makes an extra fiber cereal that's pretty low in carbs. I add a little of it to some flaxzsnax cereal (expensive stuff) and a handful of nuts - pour on a little carbcountdown milk - tadaaaa - cereal and tons of fiber! The extra fiber version is even lower carb in the fiber one - looks like rabbit food kindof, but I mix it into tastier stuff. Could be added to things like fruit and cream too if you wanted.

[50lbs2go]

i am dealing with the same problem now. took an ex-lax last night and haven't left the house all day. extra fiber doesn't seem to be working for me.

[Arkansas Kel]

OK, constipation can have many causes. A muscle contraction called peristalsis moves the stool through the bowel. The bulk of the stool causes the peristalsis to trigger. If you are on narcotic pain medications it can relax these muscles and back you up bad. If you don't drink enough water - the stool is smaller and lays around longer. The fiber simply adds even more bulk to it. I've even learned if I get backed up a little I just eat a huge salad - that always causes a toilet treat. Also, could try the "castor oil" trick. Seems to work for many in the hospital, it's an old tried and true remedy, and it's LOW CARB still.